February Newsletter
PRINCIPAL’S MESSAGE
As we move into February, the days get a little longer, bringing the promise of spring and warmer days ahead. We will continue to see colder weather for the next several weeks, and remind students to ensure they are dressed appropriately for all kinds of weather. Wherever possible, we try to have students outdoors for at least some portion of the day, so they will continue to require warm or waterproof clothing, as well as boots, mitts, hats, etc. If you are finding that you have items that are wearing out ahead of the warm weather, and don’t want to purchase replacements, let us know, as we have a number of items available in various sizes that could help to fill the gap between seasons.
First term report cards will be coming home after our Family Day holiday. Hopefully there are lots of opportunities to see the growth and learning demonstrated by your child found in those documents. We would encourage you to read the comments carefully, as they often outline next steps for each student and ways that they can continue to build their knowledge and understanding of grade level materials. If you have any questions about your child’s progress, parents are encouraged to connect with the classroom or rotary teachers to discuss those concerns further and collaborate on a plan for the second half. We look forward to continuing to work together to support and promote student learning and well-being throughout the remainder of the school year. As always, if you have any questions or concerns, please connect with classroom teachers first, and with the school office as required.
Finally, we would like to wish Mrs. Decker a very fond farewell as she assumes a new position as VP at North Perth Westfield for the remainder of the school year. It is safe to say that Mrs. Decker will be missed by the many students and staff she has worked with over her time as both teacher and VP at HCS. We would like to welcome Mr. Greg Lobb, who joins us to take over as our new VP. Mr. Lobb comes to us with many years of experience teaching both in the area, and across AMDSB, and will be a great addition to our team.
Enjoy the remaining days of winter and watch for Wiarton Willie as he makes his prediction about Spring. Happy February to all.
Sincerely,
Jeremy Brock & Greg Lobb, HCPS Admin Team
PARENT INFORMATION
Safe Schools
It is important to us that we provide a safe, welcoming, and inclusive environment in our school that supports the academic achievement and well-being of all students. We are working our way through classroom presentations to talk about some of the important elements of a safe and welcoming school. You may want to have a conversation with your child about what they learned and discussed. Topics covered include:
Attendance
Did you know…
School provides a structured, familiar environment where children can feel safe, supported, and connected – vital for mental wellness, especially when regular social interactions are part of their routine.
Social and Emotional Growth:
- Play games at home and model positive social skills, taking turns and active listening
- Support your child in joining school or community clubs, sports teams, or volunteer groups to find peers with shared interests
- Help your child understand what different social signals mean and how to interpret them in various situations
- Listen to and validate feelings
Multilingual Information Night
Help Shape the Avon Maitland District School Board's 2026-2030 Strategic Plan
Avon Maitland District School Board (AMDSB) is undertaking a strategic planning initiative and we want to better understand parent/caregiver experiences, needs, and insights to create a plan that better reflects everyone.
The survey will be open from Monday, January 19 - Friday, February 20, 2026
How does your participation help?
- Share your experiences with AMDSB services, both good and challenging
- Help us understand your needs, expectations, and challenges
- Ensure your voice and needs are included in the development of the multi-year Strategic Plan
The survey will take 10 - 15 minutes to complete (depending on how much information you want to share). Responses will be combined with data from multiple other methods of engagement by Overlap Associates. Participation is voluntary, and all feedback will be confidential. The data will be analyzed and presented back to AMDSB in the form of an insights summary.
For questions about the project, the survey, or to request accessibility accommodations, please contact: Ben Balfour, Overlap Associates [email protected]
Drop Off/Pick Up of Students
Each day families are balancing increasingly busier schedules and parents are required to drop off or pick up students outside of the school day hours. If your child(ren) is not arriving/leaving on the bus, please use the parking lot to pull in, walk to the front doors to drop off/pick up your child. To exit, please use the parking lot exit to access the roadway east or west.
We ask that vehicles do not move through the front driveway of the school and attempt to exit through the west exit. At the beginning of the day by 8:40am. Buses are lined up down the driveway starting drop off at Door B (Kindergarten entrance) and we ask that parents do not drive over our grass/lawn area outside of the driveway to exit between or around the buses. At dismissal buses will be in the drive, in front of the main doors starting at 3:05 pm as they safely park and prepare for our end of the day routine. Parents will be required to park in the lot and walk to the doors to safely pick up their children. Please do not pull in between the buses in the front of the school for safety reasons.
Bus cancellations
When the weather is questionable, please check for delays and cancellations on the bus planner website: https://www.ourschoolbuses.ca/
Download the BusPlanner App – follow the prompts at this link BusPlanner App How To's
Make sure you turn on the notifications in your phone to receive the BusPlanner alerts. If you are not receiving them please delete the app and redownload it to your phone.
We will also send notifications through School Messenger by email and text. Please be sure to check those messages.
Updates on delays or cancellations will be posted on our Instagram and Facebook pages as well—so make sure you’re following us on social media. Announcements are shared as early as possible once our bus provider makes a decision.
Families are encouraged to check their child’s Google Classroom if they are unable to attend due to weather. Staff will be posting items for students to work on while at home.
HPPH Information for Parents
Respiratory Illness Season Information for Parents
Pink Shirt Day
Wednesday, February 25th is Pink Shirt. Pink Shirt Day is a day when staff and students come together wearing pink to raise awareness about the impacts of bullying. This year, the theme for Pink Shirt Day is “Sprinkle Kindness”.
Please click on the link for resources for parents/caregiver tips to prevent your child from experiencing bullying.
Weather Changes
This winter has provided us with some unpredictable weather. It has been very cold with considerable winds. We remind students and parents that our students must be dressed appropriately for outdoor activity at recess, PE classes, DPA or outdoor learning. This is a key reminder to our students in our Junior and Intermediate divisions. Students require appropriate boots or warm footwear with a pair of dry shoes to wear indoors. Indoor shoes are required as part of our safety protocol due to slips, trips, and falls or the necessity to exit the building safely in the event of a crisis.
Lost mittens, hats, snowpants and other items are brought to the lost and found regularly, if we are not able to locate the owner. We have a number of warm coats, extra snowpants, a few pairs of boots, hats and mittens/gloves available to borrow when needed.
Please double check your child(ren)’s backpack for wet winter gear each day and if possible, include an extra set of mitts and socks to change into.
When the temperature is significantly low, we will reduce or adjust our time outside. In some cases, students without proper outdoor gear will not be permitted outdoors for recess or outdoor learning/activity time in response to our priority of keeping students safe.
CHARACTER COUNTS
Our student committee is always looking for ways to support our school community and the larger local community around us. As part of this effort, we are planning a Spring Book Exchange.If you are cleaning out closets, decluttering, or looking to donate, we are collecting gently used books—children’s books and novels—that are in good condition and relatively recent titles. With this collection, students will have the opportunity to “shop” for books that are new to them and take them home to enjoy over the summer.This is a wonderful way to share our love of reading and help keep students connected with great literature during summer break.
Please drop off donated books at the school office from now till May.
Thank You
SCHOOL COUNCIL NEWS
The next meeting is Monday March 6th at 6:00pm in the library. If you wish to join us by virtual link, please contact the office or email [email protected]
STAY UP TO DATE
Check out our website where all updates on the school calendar are live. https://huroncentennial.amdsb.ca/
School Cash Online: please sign up for school cash online for all purchases related to school products and fundraising. School cash online
School Messenger: get up to the minute information such as our weekly updates for the coming week, school notices and reminders School Messenger
Bus Planner Delays: Access the bus planner delays app and refresh your app for this school year to ensure accurate and timely updates Bus Planner Delays App
FEBRUARY EVENTS
Feb 2- March Pizza/Milk Open on School Cash Online
Feb 5- St.Mary’s River Valley Tubing Trip Grades 4-8
Feb 9- Senior Tripleball at CHSS (weather date is Feb 17th)
Feb 11- CHSS Hockey Game Clinton for Gr 7&8’s(leave school at noon and return before end of day)
Feb 12- Grade 8 Graduation Photos
Feb 13- Spirit Day-Wear Red/White & Pink!
Feb 16- Family Day (no school for students)
Feb 17- HPPH Dental Screening Grades JK,Sk, 2,4 and 7
Feb 18- March Pizza/Milk orders due online
Feb 20- Report Cards go home
Feb 23- Parent Council Meeting 6:00pm in the library
Feb 25- Pink Shirt Day!
Coming up in March:
Mar 5th- Ska-Nah-Doht trip-Mrs.Lobb & Mrs.Bradys ⅞ class
Mar 11th- Junior Basketball at HCS
Mar 16th-Mar 20th- March Break